NEIL LENNON revealed Celtic have slapped in a £3million bid for a player – believed to be Rosenborg midfielder Markus Henriksen – as he prepared to battle to keep Gary Hooper.

Scotland’s top scorer kick-started a joy day for Celtic yesterday with all five goals in the champions’ demolition of Hearts before the Hoops got their hands on the SPL championship trophy.

Hooper is a £7m target for newly-promoted Southampton and Lennon is bracing himself for more interest in the Englishman, who finished the campaign with 29 goals.

But the manager is adamant Hooper is going nowhere and insisted the Celtic board will match his ambitions for the club.

Lennon will sit down with the Celtic board before the end of the month to discuss his own future, although he sees nothing to stop him leading the club into the new season.

But he is desperate to strengthen his side and to hang on to his top stars.

Commenting on his own position, Lennon said: “We have a board meeting on May 25 and I’ll maybe speak to Peter Lawwell before that as well. There is nothing to resolve there, just a few things that need ironed out.

"The next step is that we want to come back and defend the title as best we can next year and we want to play at the big table, the Champions League.”

With Rangers expected to be severely weakened in terms of playing personnel and possibly a points deduction if they enter the SPL as a newco, Lennon is convinced his directors will not rest on their laurels.

He added: “I don’t think they will be complacent in that aspect. We bid for a player this week in excess of £3m so the wheels are in motion to try and bring players in early. I’m not telling you who it is and I am not making it up!”

Record Sport believes that man is Rosenborg’s 19-year-old attacking midfielder Henriksen, who was on the verge of signing a £2.5m deal with Bruges in Belgium before he pulled out of the deal at the last minute after hearing a bigger club was tracking him.

That club is Celtic and Lennon is hoping to make the youngster his first major signing of the summer.

But he is equally keen to hang on to Hooper and added: “It was a tremendous individual performance. Scoring five goals is a great achievement – I think that takes his tally to 24 league goals.

“He’s a special player and I’m delighted he’s fulfilling all the talent we think he has. I’d like to think he’ll be here next season. I think he is happy here.

“Obviously there will be people out there who would pay for his talent, pay for his goals.

“He’s a goalscorer and they are priceless in the game. We want to keep him and we’ll do our very best to do that.

“I’ve no idea how much he’s worth but if you look at Jelavic and what he’s achieved since going to Everton then there’s no reason Gary Hooper can’t do that.

“I’m talking about any division, whether it be the Premier League or in Spain or Italy. He scores big goals in big games. He has a good record against Rangers and has scored in Europe.

“He’s only 24 and has the world at his feet. We would like to keep him. I think he is progressing and I think there’s more to come from him in terms of his all-round game. But at the minute he is in a very good place.

“There are a few of our players I would like to ring-fence because they’re very important to us and Gary would fall into that category.”